1. Technical Field
The present inventions relate to sealed vessels and, more particularly, relate to a sealed vessel which is opened for drinking or pouring by pressing an actuator of a valve assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Covers for drinking containers that form a sealed vessel and provide a button to be pressed to drink or pour the liquid from the vessel are known to the art. These covers could be used to prevent spilling for urban commuters, especially when placed in a back pack next to an electronic device. In order to open the vessel to drink, an actuator was pressed on the opposite side of the drinking orifice which opened the drinking orifice. Most of the actuators were associated with several mechanisms to change the horizontal movement of the actuator into a vertical movement needed to open the drinking orifice and to provide the spring force to seal both the actuator and the drinking orifice. Once the actuator was pressed, the user could drink from the container through a drinking orifice. After taking a drink, the actuator was released and the container was sealed to prevent leakage. Kenneth J Albert has several patents which illustrate variations of this mechanism (U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,631) (U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,443).
One problem associated with these drinking containers was the number of mechanisms required to provide the movement and provide the necessary spring force. First, the cost to manufacture and assemble multiple pieces increased the cost of a cover assembly for the container. Since liquid also flowed over the valve, the valve needed to be cleaned, which was difficult with so many pieces. In some cases, the mechanism was so complex that the valve assembly could not be removed and could only be cleaned by a dishwashing machine which allowed for an accumulation of undesirable matter. U.S. Pat. No. 7,546,933 is an example of a complex valve assembly which could not be cleaned or removed for cleaning.
Another version of the art of a commonly available product was the pull ring on the center of the cover of the drinking container. A nipple in the middle, when pressed down was sealed, when the nipple is pulled up, the liquid was able to flow through the nipple. Although a simple solution, the valve wore out over time and leaked. Also, the inside of the nipple could not be manually cleaned and the nipple could not be removed. This type of valve was common on disposable containers as well because of the low cost to produce.
Richard Lee (U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,134) constructed a valve using an elongated arm to provide both the seal and the spring force to maintain the seal of the orifice plug. Squeezing the container together pulled the arm down by a string attached to a flexible bridge to open the drinking orifice. Like the aforementioned approaches, an arrangement of several mechanisms changed horizontal motion into vertical motion and the problem of cleaning was not resolved.
There exists a need for a cover assembly for a drinking container that forms a sealed vessel which can be opened by pressing an actuator for a valve mechanism and which can be easily removed and cleaned.